Windmotor



Dec. 18, 1923. 1,478,214

- J. GARDNER WINDMOTOR Fi led Ma 28. 1923 s Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 18 1923.

.J. GARDNER WINDMOTOR Filed May 28 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fenian J'GHNGARDNER, OF (IARNFOBTH, ENG-LAND.

WINDMOTOR.

Application filed MayflS, 1923. Serial No. 641,925.

To all w 7mm it may concern Be it known that I, Jenn GARDNER, a subjectof the King of Great Britain and Treland, and a resident ofBolton-le-Sands, Carnforth, 1n he county of Lancaster, England, haveinvented certain new and useful 1 7 inthe strength or velocity of thewind.

In windmotors of the said type the movements of the windwheel into andout of the wind have been effected and controlled by a governor vanemounted on a substantially horizontal axis and on one side of thevertical axis about which the whole motor turns, such vane presentingits edge to light or normal wind and being turned about its axis topresent a greater area to the wind as the strength of the latterincreases, so as toturn the windwheel out of the wind. The governor vanehas been controlled and operated by a pilot vane connected with the axisof the governor vane on one side of the vertical axis, said pilot vanenormally presenting a maximum area to the wind and being adapted to bedeflected from its normal position by the wind as the strength thereofincreases, to turn the governor vane to present a greater area to thewind, against the action of restoring means tending to operate thegovernor vane to its normal or inoperative position.

The main object of the present invention is to provide improved means ofcontrolling and operating the governor vane which will be more sensitivein action than the pilot vane referred to.

According to this invention the governor vane is controlled and operatedby means of a centrifugal governor.

Further features of the invention will be apparent from the followingdescription made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in whichFig. 1 is an elevation partly in section of one embodiment of myimprovements in an apparatus for driving an electric generator, Fig. 2an elevation on the line in Fi 1, Fig. 3 a plan of v Fig. 1, Fi t afragmentary elevation illustrating the mounting of the sails upon theirshaft, and Fig. 5 an elevation to a smaller scale, looking towards theleft hand in Fig. 1, but with the sails turned through 90. In Figs. 1, 2and 3 the direction of the wind is indicated by arrows, while in Fig. 5the direction is, of course, from the observer.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is a frame or bracket which carries thewhole of the moving parts of the apparatus and which is apertured at thebottom for the passage of the supporting post 2 and is supported at thetop on the post by means of a ball bearing 2 (Fig. 2). The frame 1 isprovided with bearings 1 wherein is mounted the shaft 3 of the windwheeland with bearings 11 in which the horizontal shaft of the laterallyprojecting governor vane 9 is mounted. The electric generator 6 gearedwith the shaft 3 by bevel gearing 5, is mounted on the frame 1 at thewindward side of the post 2 and the several parts of the apparatus areso arranged that the whole is roughly balanced on the top of the post.Brushes (not shown) mounted at the lower end of the generator 6 co-actwith slip rings 7 secured on the post from which slip ringsthe currentgenerated is conveyed by suitable conductors to the battery to becharged, the motor to be driven, or the like.

The windwheel is of the type comprising two diametrically opposite sails8. The sails 8 are carried by a single transverse arm 4, preferably ofwood, bored to receive the leeward end of the shaft 3, which is slottedto receive a key or feather 25. The arm 4 is also slotted at either sideof the central hole to receive the key or feather and to allow of thetight gripping of the shaft by the arm on the tightening up of thesecuring bolts 26 which pass through the key or feather, the arm 4? andside plates 27. The end of the shaft is reduced to form a shoulder andis screw threaded to receive a. securing nut 28. The sails may be ofplywood and be secured to the arm 4, by battens 29, Fig. The requiredangle of weather or pitch may be imparted to the sails by appropriatelybevelling the surface of they arm i to receive the battens 29.

The shaft 10 of the governor vane 9 is illustrated as projectinglaterally of the shaft 3 horizontally and normal thereto, but in some.cases the shaft 10 may not. be

normal to the shaft 3. The'vane 9 may be mounted so that when in thenormal or inoperative position it presents a thin edge to the wind, butin order to reduce friction at the bearings 11 of the shaft 10 it ispreferred to give the vane a slight initial ele vation, as shown in Fig.l, so that the wind pressure always tends to turn the vane into ortowards the position of maximum efiect indicated in dotted lines.

For varying the position of the vane 9 between the inoperative positionshown in full lines, in which the windwheel is fully in the wind, andthe position of maximum effect indicated in dotted lines in which thewindwl'ieel would be turned completely out of the wind by the windpressure on the vane overcoming the tail or rudder effect of the wheeland rotating the frame 1 on the post 2, I employ a centrifugal governorcomprising weights 18 connected by flat springs 20 with a membe 17 fixedupon the shaft 3, and also connected with the muff 16, 'slidably mountedon the shaft 3, by links 19 which are pivoted at one end to the weights18 and at the other end to the nufi' 16 which moves backwards andforwards on the shaft 3 according to the. radial position of theweights. On the shaft 3 is also slidably mounted the closed end i l of aU-shaped member 13 the limbs of which are pivoted to the free ends ofthe levers 12 fixed on the shaft 10 of the vane 9. A ball thrust bearing15 is arranged between the muff 16 and the end 14: of "them'ember 13.There is also fixed on the shaft 10 a lever 21 having the properties ofa fusee, by which a force of uniform strength may oppose with increasingeffect the expansion of the governor weights 18. To the fuses lever 21and near the shaft 10 is connected one end of chain or band 22 the otherend ofwhich is connected to the periphery 23 of a drum provided with arestoring spring which tends to keep the vane 9 in its inoperativeposition. The drum 23, may, however, be a pulley over which the chain orband 22 passes to a weight or to a spring attached to the frame. In theposition shown, the fusee lever will be acted upon by the spring onlyslightly to oppose expansion of the governor weights, but as the.expansion increases, the additional leverage afforded by the movement ofthe fuses lever will afford the spring greater leverage to counteractthe increasing centrifugal force developed. by the higher speed andgreater leverage of the governor weights '18. While it"is preferred thatthe restorin spring or weight should act upon the Van e shaft 10 throughthe medium of a fuse'e,

the latter may be dispensed with. p

The mode ofo'peration ofthe governing mechanism is, as follows :'lheopposing roves or the festering being sues that, in a wind of mediumstrength, the governor is partially expanded and the vane 9 in anintermediate position, the windwheel will be partially turned out of thewind-by the pressure of the wind upon the vane 9 overcoming the tail orrudder effect of the wheel. A reduction of wind strength will cause adiminution of the speed of the wind wheel; the governor will contractunder the influence of the restoring spring; the vane 9 will movetowards the inoperative position; and the tail or rudderefl'ect of thewindwheel due to its leeward position on the post will bring the wheelmore nearly normall'o the direction of the wind, thus offering a greaterarea of sail to be acted upon. lVith an increase of wind strength thegovernor will expand beyond an intermediate degree; its muff 16, actingthrough the U connection 13-14 upon the arms 12 will cause the vane 9 topresent a greater area; the tail efi'ect of the windwheel will befurther overcome, and the wheelturned to a greater extent out of thewind; and the wind will impinge upon a smaller sail area, thus reducingthe speed to the number of revolutions for which the governing apparatusis adjusted.

For the purpose of stopping the wind motor there is provided an arm 24,attached to the vane shaft 10, by which the vane 9 may be manuallypulled into the vertical position indicated in Fig. l in dotted lines,when there will be offered to the wind a vane area so great as tocompletely over come the rudder effect ofthe sails, which will then beforced completely out of the wind. The arm 2%, which may conveniently Ibe combined with oneof the 12, is

drawn down by a cord 30, extending below to a position convenient forthe operator, the cord being then held in position'by a cleat or thelike until it is desired to 're-start the windmotor.

With the object of preventing any rotation of the windwheel which mayoccur whilst the vane is in its fully operative, or vertical position, adrum may be secured to the shaft, between the bearings 1 on the frame 1,so to rotate with the shaft, and there may be carried on the vane shaft'10, in a position between the two levers 12,'an arm to which isattached a brake-shoe which will press upon the drum when. the stoppingcord 30 is pulled and the vane 9 is in the vertical position. i

The dynamo employed in this invention.

afforded by the post 2. Simplified construction permitted by this arangement, and the balancing of the co netemeghanisni upon the realestsets, airing to see prompt movement in response to variable winds, isfacilitated. The vertical shaft of great length and coinciding withthevertical axis of the apparatus as hitherto proposed for the purposeof driving electric generators, calls for the provision of severalearings or guides to prevent whirling of the long vertical shaft; Thecompact main frame or bracket provided by the present invention, whilereducing to minimum the number of bearings required, also providesconvenient housing for ball or roller bearings for the limited numberofmoving parts, thus abolishing the need of frequent lubrication. Further,the lightness gained by the construction and arrangement detailedpermits the use of a less costly tower than usual to support the post 2,a mere mast, suitably stayed by guy ropes, being ample for the purpose,or, where an outbuilding is available, the post 2 may be supported onthe ridge of the structure.

Instead of. a vertical dynamo being employed, driven through bevelgearing as shown in the drawings, the generator may have its armatureshaft horizontally placed and be driven from the shaft 3 through spurgearing, chain gearing or the him.

While the centrifugal governor has been described as turning with thewindwheel shaft 3, it may be carried by an independent spindle geared tosaid shaft. Or the governor may be mounted upon an extension of thearmature shaft of the dynamo.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is31. In a windmotor of the leeward type, a rotatable windwheel mountedfor bodily movement about a vertical axis, a governor vane extendinglaterally of the axis of rotation of the windwheel and mounted forrotation therewith about the vertical axis, said vane being adjustableto present variable effective surface areas to the action of the wind,and a centrifugal device driven by the windwheel for varying the surfacearea of the vane which is exposed to the wind in proportion to the speedof the windwheel.

2. In a windmotor of the leeward type, a rotatable windwheel mounted forbodily movement about a vertical axis, a governor vane extendinglaterally of the axis of rotation of the windwheel and mounted forrotation therewith about the vertical Sfll vane being adjustable topresent variable effective surface areas to the action of the wind, anda centrifugal device driven by the windwheel for varying the surfacearea of the vane which is exposed to the wind in proportion to the speedof the windwheel, said vane in its normal inoperative position having asmall surface area exposed to the wind.

3. In a windmotor of the leeward type, a rotatable windwheel mounted forbodily vane being rotatable between a positionv edgewise to the wind anda position broadside to thewind for presenting variable effective areasto the action of the wind, and

a centrifugal device driven by the windwheel for rotating thevane tovarious extents between said positions for presenting to the wind aneffective area of the vane which is proportional to the speed ofrotation of the windwheel.

4. In a windmotor of the leeward type, a rotatable \vindwheel mountedfor bodily movement about a vertical axis, a governor vane extendinglaterally of the axis of rotation of the windwheel and mounted forrotation therewith about the vertical axis, sai vane being rotatablebetween a position edgewise to the wind and a position broadside to thewind for presenting variable effective areas to the action of thewind,and a centrifugal device driven by the windwheel for rotating the vaneto various extents between said positions for presenting to the wind aneffective area of the Vans whichis proportional to the speed of rotationof the windwheel, said vane when edgewise to the wind having a slightinclination to the direction of the wind so as to present a smallsurface area thereto.

5,. In a windmotor of the leeward type, a rotatable windwheel mountedfor bodily movement about a vertical axis, a governor vane extendinglaterally of the axis of rotation of the 'windwheel and mounted forrotation therewith about the vertical axis, said vane being adjustableto present variable effective surface areas to the action of the wind,and a centrifugal device responsive to the speed of the windwheel forvarying the surface area of the vane which is exposed to the wind inproportion to the speed of the windwheel.

6. In a windmotor of the leeward type, a rotatable windwheel mounted forbodily movement about a vertical axis, a governor vane extendinglaterally of the axis of rotation of the windwheel and mounted forroration therewith about the vertical axis, said vane being rotatablebetween a position edgewise to the wind and a position broadside to thewind for presenting variable effective areas to the action of the wind,a centrifugal device driven by the windwheel for rotating the vane tovarious extents between said positions for presenting to the wind aneffective area of the vane which is proportional to the speed ofrotation of the windwheel, and means constantly urging the vane towardits position in which it is edgewise to the wind, said means presentingan increasing resistance to the action of the are &

tation of the windvvheel and mounted for roproportional'to the speed ofrotation of the Windwhee'l, and ineans'constantly urging the I vanetoward its position in which it is edgewise to the wind, said meansincluding a fusee device for presenting an increasing resistance to theaction of the centritugal device in rotating the vane toward a positionbroadside to the wind.

8. In a Windm'otor of the leeward type, rotatable windwheel mounted forbodily movement about a vertical axis, a governor vane extendinglaterally of the axis of rotation of the windwheel and mounted forrotation therewith about'the vertical axis, said vane being adjustableto present variable effective surface areas to the action of the wind, acentrifugal device driven by the windwhee'l for varying the surface areaof the vane which 1s exposed to the wind in proportion to the speed ofthe windwheel,

tationof the windwheel andmounted for rotation therewith about thevertical axis, said vane being adjustable to present variable effectivesurface areas to the action of the wind, a centrifugal device driven bythe windwheel for varying the surface area of the vane which is exposedto the Wind in proportion to the speed of the windwheel,

and yieldabl'e'means constantly opposing the operation of the vane bythe centrifugal device and tending to return the vane toithe positionwhich it occupies when the Windwheel is not rotating, said meansincluding a fusee device for increasing theefiective opposition to theincreasing action of the'cen tri'fugal device which is caused by anincreasing vrate of rotation of the windwheel.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand; 7

JOHN GARDNER.

